Process for treating hydrocarbon oils



Patented Oct. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,601,786 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. WEAVER, l' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASBIGNOB TO Oni PRODUCTSCOHPANY,

` OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION Ol' OHIO.

mmm massue Application illed June 15, 1925. Serial lo. 81,244.

This invention relates to recess for treating hydrocarbon oils and reates more particularly to an improved process for the roduction of lowboiling point hydrocar ns suitable for use as motor fuel or the like.

The process, however, in certain of its aspects is not limited to theparticular use mentioned as certain steps of the process have moreeneral application.

Amon t e objects of the invention are: to rovi e an improved process fortreating hy rocarbon oils in the vapor phase; to provide a rocesswherein the detrimental deposit o carbon is avoided; to provide aprocess in which such carbon as is necessarily formed will berecipitated'at a predetermined part in die process and can be readilyremoved; to rovide a process in which the carbon is ehminated bythe same90 'step that is used for preheatin and dehydrating the make-up stock anin general to rovide an improved process for treating by rocarbon oils,particularly in the vapor ase. l5 The invention further resides in theuse of the above-mentioned features in connection with a rocess whichinvolves the use of steam an a suitable agent (which term is intended tocover either a catalytic agent l0 or a chemical reagent) and in suchother steps and combinations of steps as will more fully hereinafterappear:

In the drawings Figure 1 is adiagrammatic view, of an $5 apparatusembodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the jet condenser or tarleg; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view through one of the pipes of theconvertor.

In the drawings which illustrate diagrammatically an apparatus by whichm improved process may be carried out, designates 'a pipe still havingan inlet. A and an outlet A2 leading to an expander or 45 expandingchamber B. The latter at its upper end is connected by the pipes B tothe inlet end of the convertor C and at its lower end the e ander has apipe B through which the eavy residue or liquid hydro- 50 carbons may bedrawn olf. Interposed in the pipe or line B just before it reaches theconvertor is a steam inlet'D through which steam under pressure isforced, together with the vapors in the pipe B', into the con- 66verter. The outlet en of the convertor C following manner: At the lowerend of the l1 is as follows:

is connected with a jet condenser or tar leg E. At the upper end the jetcondenser is provided with a nozzle F to which the make up stock isconducted through a pipe F from the tank F. In its up er portion the jetcondenser E has a pipe leading to a 'fractionatin or scrubbin tower Hwhile at its lower en the jet con enser or tar leg E is provided with aconduit I running back to the inlet end A of the pipe still A. The towerH also has at its lower end a conduit H connecting with the conduit I,and at its upper end the tower H is provided with a pipe J leading to acondenser L. The lower end of the latter is connected by a pipe L to adecanter M. As the product from the condenser L contains both water andhydrocarbon in liquid form and a fixed gas, the decanter is arranged toseparate these in the decanter there is a water leg pipe N forconducting away the condensed water and near the upper end a ipe O forconducting away the resultant hy rocarbon oil product. The zfed gas isconducted oi through the pipe While the construction .of the convertorforms the sub'ect matter of a separate application Serial o. 37 ,245,filed June 15, 1925, its construction in eneral as shown in Fig.

he ipe B which conducts the vapors from t e expander B opens into theheader C of the convertor. This header is divided into upper and lowersections by the wall Cz and is connected to a similar header C by meansof pipes Q. The incoming vapors pass through the up er set of pipes Q tothe header Cs an back through the lower pipes Q to the lower portion ofthe header C from which they pass through the outlet C* to the jetcondenser or tar leg E. The openings Q in the end of the pipes Q aremade progressively smaller from the top toward the bottom so that theyrate of iow through the top tubes is less than through the bottom tubes.This results in the contents of the upper tubes being subjected to theheat for a longer time than the contents of the lower tubes and willualize the heating e'ect due to the lower 105- the W and produ@ the Semersult ll@ As shown in Fi 3, the convertor tubes Q are lled with t eagent. This may be ferrie oxid or other suitable substance and .I haveprovided a novel arrangement for life of the tubes Q.

mounting and supporting the same within the tubes. The ferrie oxid orother agent is mixed in a plastic and formed in bars S which aresubstantially star-shaped in crosssecti'on. The lbars are preferably ofless length than the tubes Q and each bar is offset as shown ih tFig. 8so as to cause the vapors to more completely impinge agalnst the agent.This arrangement of the bars S not only presents a large surface of theferrie oxid or other agent for the vapors to impinge against but it alsoincreases the By constructing the bars in the form of a star incross-section there are only two points ofcontact between the bars andthe tube. Moreover, the vapors in place of passing through the agent,pass between the latter and the inner walls of the convertor tubes Q andabsorb the heat directly from the walls. The bars are formed by mixingthe ferrie oxid with a suitable plastic which is then forced or extrudedthrough a suitable die to give it the proper cross-sectional form.

Describing next in detail the jet condenser or tar leg E, theconstruction of the latter is as follows: The vapors passing from theconvertor C are discharged into the chamber E of the jet condenser ortar leg E. At the upper end of this chamber is arranged the nozzle Fwhich is adapted to spray the liquid make-up stock and commingle themwith the va ors. This commingling is further assiste by the lacing ofmetal jackstones T through w ich the commingled convertor vapors andmake-up stock pass down to the chamber E2 before reaching the dischargechamber Es from which the vaporsv ass throu h the pipe J to thefractionate or scrub ing tower I-I. In order to facilitate the cleaningof the jackstones T, a novel arrangement is provided. They are formedseparately in order to give a large exposed area but are mounted inrings or groups by Stringing a plurality of the separate elements orjackstones on a wire T'. In this manner the jackstones can be removedrapidly for cleaning whenever it is l found necessary. The operation ofthe jet condenser or `tar leg E is best described in connection with thefollowing process although it is to be understood that while its use ispeculiarly adapted to such-process the 'invention in certain of itsbroader aspects is not limited to such use, and the process and varioussteps of the process can be carried out in any suitable apparatus.

In this process the hydrocarbon to be treated is passed through theinlet A' to the ipe still where it is raised to a tem eraure ofapproximately 700 F., which, ow

ever, may be varied according to the characteristics of the chargingstock.

-The heated oils then pass through the outlet pipe A2 under somepressure, for example, 25 pounds per square inch where they aredischarged into the expander B. Owing to the sudden release of thepressure, complete vaporization of the lighter ends takes lace and thevapors pass through the pipe at approximately 600 F. to the inlet end ofthe convertor C. The heavy ends are drawn o through the ipe B2, anydesired gravity being obtainedp by regulating the degree of heating in.the pipe stilll and the pressure in the expander. 'Just before reachingthe convertor they are commingled with steam under pressure and thecombined oil vapors and steam vapors are thensubjected to the action ofthe agent in the convertor under tempera-ture of about 1100o F. and arecaused to take up a certain percentage of hydrogen from the steam.

In cooling the vapors down from the high temperature of the convertor tothe desired temperature for the fractionating tower and condenser,difficulty is encountered in preventing the apparatus from beingrendered inoperative by carbon deposits.- I have discovered that most ofthe carbon is deposited in cooling down from the convertor temperatureof 1100o F. to a temperature of about 600 F. and that on lowering the-temperature below that point there is very little carbon deposit. Thisdiscovery Ais utilized in providing an additional step in the processwhereby the vapors coming from the convertor are caused to commingle inthe tar leg E with the make-up stock from the tank F. In so doing, thevapors are cooled to a temperature of approximately 450 F. and thecarbon is deposited in the liquid in the lower portion of the tar legchamber E2. The carbon being deposited in the liquid ca n beconveniently removed at predetermined times when the liquid in vthebottom of the tar leg E becomes too thick. A cleanout door E* isprovided in the tar leg for y this purpose. In practice, it is foundthat 1t 1s not necessary to remove this. liquid more than once in 48hours.

It is to be noted that this tar leg E is located so as to receive theconverted vapors direct frm the convertor without the interventlon ofany mechanism other than a short length of pipe necessary to cornect theconvertor and-tar leg. In practice this short length of plpe, shown inthe drawings as connecting the convertor and tar leg, is preferably heatinsulated so as to reduce to a mmimum any intermediate cooling. Thus 1ncarrymg out my improved (process with the apparatus shown in the rawing,the

roducts of -conversion are not only rap# idlv cooled'by being commingledwith the malieup stock from the nozzle F, but this rapid cooling takesplace immediately upon completing the conversion in the vapor phase.

The use of the make-up stock in the jet condenser for cooling Athevapors from the convertor performs another important function, namely,it permits the jet condenser to act as a topper or stripper for removingthe gasoline content from the fresh stock of hydrocarbon oil and alsoserves to dehydrate the make-up stock before it passes through the pipeI to the inlet end A of the still. It also permits of a control of theend point of the vapors from the fractionating tower, to which thevaporspass from the jet condenser through tlie pipe G. The fractionatingtower I-I may be of any well-known construction and in some instances ascrubbing tower may be substituted in place of the fractionating tower.Such 'vapors as will vaporize at the desired temperature, for example,at approximately 437 F. or less, pass out of the fractionating orscrubbing tower H through the pipe J to the condenser L while higherboiling point fractions are returned through the pipe H and the pipe Ito the still A for the purpose of further treatment. v'Ihe oil and watervapors are then condensed in the usual manner in the condenser L andseparated as previously described in the decanter M.

While I have shown and described the process in connection withanapparatus, I do not desire to limit the process to use in connectionwith any particular apparatus nor to the temperatures or combinations ofsteps in the process except as ultimately set forth in the claims. Also,while I have shown and described the use of hydrocarbon oil in the jetcondenser, water or other liquid might be employed and other means ocooling than a jet condenser might be employed.

What I claim as my invention is l. The process of treating hydrocarbonoil which comprises vaporizing the oil, then while the oil is in thevapor phase converting the oil at a temperature in excess ofapproximately 1000 F., and immediately vupon completing the conversionin the vapor phase rapidly cooling the products of conversion to acritical temperature less than approximately 600 F., above whichcritical temperature the cooling will produce a deposit of substantiallyall the carbon that will be formed in cooling, collecting the carbon soformed in a manner suitable for convenient removal and then continuingthe further treatment of the products of conversion at a temperaturesuiciently low to produce no further substantial carbon deposit.

cooling, collecting the carbon so formed in 4 a manner suitable forconvenient removal, and then continuing the further treatment of theproducts of conversion at a temperature suiiiciently low to produce nofurther substantial carbon deposit.

3. The process of treating hydrocarbon oil which comprises vaporizingthe oil, then while the oil is in the vapor phase and while in thepresence of a metal oxid and steam converting the oil at a temperaturein excess of approximately 1000 F., and immediately upon completing theconversion in the vapor phase rapidly cooling the products of conversionto a critical temperature less than approximately 600 F., above whichcritical temperature the cooling will produce a deposit of substantiallyall the carbon that.

will be formed in cooling, collecting thecarhon so formed in a mannersuitable for convenient removal, and then continuing the furthertreatment of the products of conversion at a temperature sufcently lowto produce no further substantial carbon deposit.

4. The process of treating hydrocarbon'oil which comprises vaporizingthe oil, .then While the oil is in the vapor `phase, convertf ing theoil at a temperature 1n excess of approximately 1000 F. and immediatelyupon completing the conversion in the vapor phase commingln the Iroductsof conversion with liquid hylrocar on oil of sufficiently lowtemperature to rapidly cool the conversion products to a criticaltemperaturev less than approximately 600 F., above which criticaltemperature the cooling will produce a deposit of substantially all thecarbon that will be formed in cooling, collecting the4 carbon so formedin a, manner suitable for convenient removal. and then continuing thefurther treatment of the products of conversion ata temperaturesufciently low to produce no further substantial carbon deposit.

In testimony whereof I aix my` signature.

JOSEPH B. WEAVER,

